The assessment that this year will be stronger than last year in terms of tourism in Cyprus, expressed DISY President Averof Neophytou, adding that we must turn crises into opportunities.
Speaking on the sidelines of the PASYDICE General Assembly held on Monday at a beachfront hotel in Larnaca, Neophytou said that "one thing is a given for those who plan properly for tomorrow. Crises will be frequent and we as a state and as a state must turn crises into opportunities."
He added that "now we have to face the war in Ukraine" and sent "an optimistic message regarding our tourism which has been affected more than any other sector, because the second largest market was Russian tourists. Last year alone we had 600 thousand" people from that country, he said, noting that "I am not worried and I like to talk about tomorrow instead of analyzing yesterday."
He expressed confidence that "this year's tourist season will be stronger than last year's. Because in this country we have the flexibility to turn crises into opportunities, but at the same time we also learn lessons from the crises" that "we should not put our eggs in one basket. It is our opportunity to look at other European markets," he said.
Neophytou also said that "we cannot be a European country and our big markets for tourism can be outside the Eurozone", i.e. Britain, Israel, Russia and the Scandinavian countries, "but none of the Eurozone countries. Time to look at Germany, France, rich countries that if we attract tourism, while the per capita spending on holidays is much higher than the Russians we are losing."
The DISY President called on everyone to "readjust our strategies and let's turn every crisis into a new opportunity" and reiterated that "in 2022 the tourist year will be much better than last year."
Asked about the economy of Cyprus being affected by the war in Ukraine, the DISY President replied that "I am not worried about the economy either. We are made for hard things, we are made for hard things and I am not for fatalism, talking about the problem," he said, adding that "I am a man who wants to find solutions and we will find solutions this time too."
Source: CNA
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